


in which they yearn

by notveryglittery (tryingthymes)



Series: sanders sides celebrations [7]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, M/M, Multi, qpr royality, the prinxiety can be read romantic or queerplatonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21886396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryingthymes/pseuds/notveryglittery
Summary: siri, how do i fake date the person i like and then pretend like i’m not dying when we go back to being just friends??
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Prinxiety, Royality - Relationship, Sleepality
Series: sanders sides celebrations [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568872
Comments: 2
Kudos: 73





	in which they yearn

**Author's Note:**

> prompt three for [sanderssidescelebrations](https://sanderssidescelebrations.tumblr.com/) 2019!!
> 
> not sure what's going on in this fic, to be honest, but it was fun to write!  
> prinxiety really is That ship, huh? (aka, i'm always a basic bitch on some level for them)
> 
> warnings: lots of Feelings and not knowing how to deal with them?

This was so stupid. This was by far the worst idea he’d _ever_ come up with and Virgil had had a _lot_ of bad ideas during his twenty-two years on this hell Earth. There had to be, like, rules against this, right? Sure, he and Roman were definitely more than “employee and customer” by now but that was technically still where they had started. The number of winking faces Roman had drawn on Virgil’s cups throughout the year had to mean _something_ , though, right? God, he was thinking way too much about this. 

The bell above the door into Java Nice Day rang as he entered, clearing his scattered thoughts and announcing his arrival to the barista that ~~looked like he’d been anticipating Virgil’s appearance?~~ he’d just been agonizing over. 

The cafe was relatively empty but that was exactly what Virgil had been hoping for. He’d purposely decided to show up later than usual today, not keen on making his proposal (wait, no, not that word) to Roman in front of too many other people. Virgil could only assume Patton was in the back somewhere, taking care of paperwork or baking fresh pastries to refill the display cases.

“Stormcloud!” Roman greeted him happily, leaning just slightly over the counter as Virgil approached. “Missed your smiling face. Truly, the early birds are less fun to help when you aren’t here rolling your eyes behind their backs.” 

Virgil couldn’t have resisted grinning at this even if he’d tried. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Slept in.”

More like didn’t sleep at all, agonizing all night over how he’d word his request.

“Good. You deserve the extra rest!” The door to the kitchen swung open as Patton effortlessly joined the conversation. He carried a tray of baked goods with him and had decided apparently that he’d match his apron today with his pink hair. Virgil suspected tomorrow would be soft yellow.

“Mi amor, don’t tease him,” Roman responded, pressing a quick kiss to his queerplatonic partner’s cheek. “You’ll have to excuse Patton. Remy got to him first thing this morning.” 

Patton squawked in protest but otherwise got to organizing the display, shooting Virgil a knowing smile as he did so. 

“Your usual, then?” Roman offered. 

“Oh,” Virgil blinked, snapping out of the panicked frenzy he’d found himself in at the impossible possibility of Patton knowing just exactly what Virgil had to ask Roman today. “Nah, uhm. Make me your favorite.” 

“You already are.”

Patton barely stifled his giggle. Virgil didn’t do nearly as well, jaw dropping open and cheeks flushing red. Roman looked very much like a deer caught in the headlights. 

“One caramel hot chocolate coming right up!” Patton chirped, grabbing the cup out of Roman’s hand, and hip checking him as he passed. 

“Are you seeing anyone?” Virgil blurted. 

“Uh.” 

“No, wait, not like—” Like water from a faucet, the words came spilling out with no rhyme or reason. “I just mean, my parents. Christmas. Not an hour’s gone by where they haven’t texted me asking if I’m “bringing home anyone special” and it’s just really funny to me, that they think I have… I mean, not that I wouldn’t _like_ to have… I mean, if I show up next week alone like I have for the past… Uh, years. Couple. Ever since… I’m just gonna go.” 

Virgil was backing up before he’d even finished what _ever_ the hell all of _that_ had been. Why had he gone and mentioned his ex, no matter how briefly or vaguely? Why had he even shown up here today? Why had his stupid traitorous brain even given him this idea in the first place, as if it could ever _possibly_ go well? 

“Stormcloud, wait!” 

A warm hand grabbed one of his and he flinched, not quite realizing how hard he’d (apparently) been dissociating. Reality slammed into him like a freight train and he blinked until his vision stopped being all fuzzy around the edges. Roman was holding his hand ( _Roman was holding his hand_ ) and there was something in his eyes, something bright and confused and hopeful. Hopeful? Wait, what?

“When?” 

Time was a funny thing. 

The year leading up to Virgil bringing Roman home to his parents had been a roller coaster. From Virgil finding Roman’s upbeat attitude and positive outlook off-putting to Roman taking offense to Virgil talking down his favorite things to Patton finally nudging them in _just_ the right direction. It turned out they had more in common than they thought and all it took was some patience to figure them out. Patton getting his boyfriend involved certainly helped; Remy was the no-nonsense sort and after seeing enough of Virgil and Roman’s antagonistic interactions, he’d promptly sat them at a table together and not let them leave until they found at least one thing to agree on. Afterwards, Virgil wouldn’t be surprised that it was Disney that did it. 

Their fake relationship was about as fragile as an egg. Somehow, though, it wasn’t awkward. The banter came as easily as ever, something Virgil’s parents found endearing. Roman was physically affectionate and one would have an easier time finding a needle in a haystack than a moment where he wasn’t holding Virgil’s hands or playing with his hair. On the surface, it all really seemed very genuine. However, Virgil’s habit for self-sabotaging kept creeping up on him. Roman’s crippling self-esteem issues weighed heavy on his shoulders. Both of them wished and wanted and dreamed of _more._ The dinner would come and go but the feelings would linger, would plant roots, would grow and blossom and bloom. 

“What if I blew it?” 

Patton looked up from the laundry he was folding. Roman was staring at a sock, frowning. 

“What’s that, honey?” 

“You’ve had this sock for forever. You kept it all this time even though you lost the other one a long time ago. Even though it’ll never be a perfect match again, you still have it.”

“Yes?” Patton prompted. 

“And… and sure, you can wear it with something else, because I know you don’t care about conformity, much less with clothes, and that’s really cute of you, have I ever said so?”

“You have,” Patton reassured, smiling. 

“Okay. Good,” Roman exhaled, relieved. “Okay, good, great… but sometimes, there’s really just something about that perfect match. You know?” 

“Mhm,” Patton agreed quietly, though he wasn’t sure if he really _did_ know, at least not on the level Roman was trying to explain. 

“I’m so happy with you,” Roman promised, piercing him suddenly with such an earnest gaze that Patton thought he might melt with the intensity of it. “I love you more than I could ever begin to show and…” 

“And what, sweetpea?” 

“I want… I want that with Virgil.” It was uttered so haltingly, barely a whisper. 

“One more time?” Patton requested.

“With Virgil!” Roman seemed to burst, the floodgates breaking open. “I want him to know how important he is to me and… and to everyone that knows him! I want to remind him every day how loved and appreciated he is! When he laughs, I wish I had a bottle to catch it, and the way he smiles when he sees I’m the one behind the counter at work is like a rainbow after a storm, and his hands fit perfectly in mine, like a piece of a puzzle I didn’t even realize I was _missing_ ,” his voice caught, breath hitching. “Is… is that okay?” 

Patton was there, wiping the tears from Roman’s cheeks before they could travel any further. “Oh, sugar, of _course_ that’s okay!” 

He pulled Roman in and shushed him as he cried, carding a hand through his hair. Any positive affirmation he could think of, he didn’t hesitate to murmur, reassuring Roman through every sob and hiccup and sniffle. Eventually, the emotions seemed to pass; it wasn’t even that they’d been necessarily bad, Patton figured, just sudden and overwhelming. 

“So,” Patton began, giving Roman an encouraging smile. “How big a confession are you planning?” 

**Author's Note:**

> much appreciation to [blink](https://blinksinbewilderment.tumblr.com/) for picking the numbers that combined this prompt + ship + au and for giving me the words "egg, hands, time, sock, faucet" to work into the story!
> 
> find me on [tumblr](https://notveryglittery.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
